1895: Augustus Kendall Allen was born to William Allen and Bethena Kendall in Johnson County, Arkansas.1910: Irene Griffith, fourth wife of Joseph Allen Everette, was born.1922: Samuel Acord, wife of Susan Bethina Underwood, died at the age of 82.1940: Samuel Jackson 'Sam' Kraus, husband of Fannie Bush, was buried in Oakland Memorial Cemetery, Clarksville, Johnson County, Arkansas.

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Use caution, this site contains many unproven facts
and speculation and errors are almost a certainty, Use this information as clues
to guide your own research and always independently verify the facts stated. Where possible we have included
images of records so researchers can reach their own conclusions.

Allen was one of the most popular names when surnames were becoming
hereditary. It is said to have to come into England with Alan Fergeant, Count of
Brittany, a champion of William the Conqueror, and the first Earl of Richmond.
It soon became common to Northern England and especially in Scotland which was
the original home of the Allens. The oldest known form of the name, found on
10th Century coins was Alamnus. According to John Urquhart in the American
Weekly of May 15, 1960, it is listed as one of the fifty most distinguished
names in American history. The Allen coat of arms as given in Burke's Peerage is
described as follows:

ARMS: Six birds on a black and silver shield.

CREST: A silver eagle, holding in its beak a golden acorn with green leaves.

WILLIAMALLEN[1911]
was born about 1762 in Virginia. He performed patriotic service
(non military) during the Revolutionary War in North
Carolina for which he may have been granted a land bounty. He was
a frontiersman in the truest sense of the word, staying at the
very edge of civilization most of his adult life. He moved his
family to the Cherokee land (probably in an area which would
become Blount County, Tennessee) at the end of the Revolutionary
War and four years before the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
This area became the U.S. Southwest Territory in 1790. Shortly
after Tennessee became a state, in 1796, he moved to
Spanish West Florida in what would later become St. Helena
Parish, Louisiana. He was there when the residents revolted and
demanded annexation by the United States in 1810. Louisiana was
admitted to the union in 1812. William remained there during the
War of 1812 and the Battle of New Orleans. Five years after the
Mexican Revolution, he moved to where he died just before
the Texas Revolution and the forming of the Republic of
Texas.

William married (1) KEZIAH
ANDERS about 1782 probably on North Carolina. She was the
daughter of WILLIAM ANDERS and was born about 1762 in North
Carolina. Shortly after their marriage, they lived in Georgia
where their first child was born. By 1785 they had migrated west
to the Southwest Territory, near the northern border of the
Mississippi Territory (present day border of Tennessee and
Lauderdale County, Alabama) where their remaining six children
were born. Tennessee gained statehood in 1796. Keziah is believed
to have died there the following year.

In 1798 the Mississippi Territory
was created while the area south of latitude 31° north (northern
border of present-day Louisiana) remained part of Spanish-held
West Florida. William married (2) HANNAH PRIDE about 1800
either in Tennessee or the Mississippi Territory. She was born
about 1773.

By 1801 William migrated to Spanish Western Florida. He and his
eldest son Nathaniel both acquired land described as being six or
seven miles south of the border of the Mississippi Territory. In
December 1803 the United States took possession of Louisiana from
the French as part of the Louisiana Purchase. This transfer left
West Florida under Spanish Control. Then, in 1810, settlers in
West Florida rebelled against Spanish rule and declared their
independence. It is not known if William was a participant in
this uprising.

In October 1812 President Madison claimed West Florida which
became part of the Territory of Orleans. That same year
St. Helena Parish was created. On April 30,
1812, the Territory of Orleans (land south of the present day
northern border, including the annexed West Florida Parishes)
entered the federal Union as the 18th state,
Louisiana. In 1813 William is listed in tax records of Wilkinson
County, Mississippi Territory. At that time he was the only voter
in the household, owned five slaves and 100 acres of land in the
area known as Bayou Sarah. It is likely that William had not
moved but that confusion over borders resulted in his appearance
in records by several local governments.

The War of 1812 had
little impact on the region, being fought mostly on the northeast
border with Canada, until the British defeated Napoleon. British
troops were sent from Europe in 1814 in a campaign to capture
strategic points along the lower Mississippi River and the Gulf
Coast. General Andrew Jackson issued a call to arms for the
defense of New Orleans. William's sons Nathaniel and John and his
son-in-law John Stephenson (husband of Lydia) enlisted in the 2nd
Division, 12th & 13th
Regiments, of the Consolidated Louisiana Militia. They
served in the Florida Parishes, east of Amite River during 1814
and 1815. Son Peter served in Captain Thomas' Company of the
Louisiana Militia. It appears the sons William and Daniel along
with son-in-law Charles Myers (husband of Mary) were drafted into
the 1st (DeClouet's) Regiment, Louisiana Militia. It
is very likely that all these units served during the defeat of
the British in the Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson in
December of 1814 and January of 1815.

In 1816 sons Daniel and John were married
in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. In 1817 the Alabama Territory
was created out of what was formerly the eastern part of the
Mississippi Territory. On December 10 of that same year,
Mississippi was admitted to the Union as the 20th state.
Daughters Elizabeth and Sarah were married in St. Helena Parish
in 1818 and 1819.

William and sons Nathaniel, John and Daniel are recorded in St.
Helena in 1820. Son Peter and son-in-law Eli Chance are recorded
in Feliciana Parish just west of St. Helena Parish in the same
year. William, Hannah and children Nathaniel, Peter, Lydia, John
and Mary were there in November 1821 when the estate of William
Anders of North Carolina, father of William's first wife Keziah,
was settled.

In 1821 Mexico, including the province of
Texas, gained its independence from Spain. In 1823 the newly
independent Mexican Republic established the empresario contract
system to colonize the state with foreign immigrants who would
become citizens of Mexico. Empresarios were people who contracted
with the Mexican government to bring settlers to Texas in
exchange for 9,300 hectares (23,000 acres) of land for each 100
families that they brought. Colonist had to become Mexican
citizens. Anglo-Americans were attracted to Texas because of
inexpensive land. Undeveloped land in the United States land
offices cost $1.25 an acre for a minimum of 80 acres ($100)
payable at the time of purchase. In Texas each head of a family,
male or female, could claim a headright of 4,605 acres (one
league-4,428 acres of grazing land if raising cattle and one
labor-177 acres of irrigable farm land if farming) at a cost
about four cents an acre ($184) payable in six years, a sum later
reduced by state authorities. Not surprisingly, most colonists
claimed to be both farming and raising cattle. Another attraction
was that Mexico and the United States had no reciprocal
agreements enabling creditors to collect debts or to return
fugitives. Therefore, Texas was a safe haven for the many
Mississippi valley farmers who defaulted on their loans when
agricultural prices declined at the end of the War of 1812 and
bankers demanded immediate payment. There is no evidence to
suggest that this is why the Allen family moved west.

Early settlers of the Bevil District of
the Nacogdoches Department in the newly liberated Mexico included
James and Absalom Jett (1823), Robert and Elizabeth Johnson,
David and Jacob Gamer, Claiborne West and John McGaffey (1824),
John Jett (1826) and John and William Allen (1827), John Cole,
David Cole, David Burrell, and James, William, and Gilbert
Stephenson (1828), and Theron Strong, David Harmon, and George
and John Stephenson (1829), John Harmon, Stephen Jett, Hiram
Bunch, Clark Beach, and George A. Pattillo (1830). Two early
grants, now in Orange County, were issued to John Stephenson and
Theron Strong on February 17 and March 9, 1830.

Later land records indicate that William
and sons Moses (age 18), George (age15) and Benjamin (age 14)
arrived in August of 1826. Hannah, her two infant sons, Elisha
and Elijah, and daughters arrived in 1827. It is possible that
William and his teenaged sons went ahead to establish a homestead
then Hannah and the younger children followed a year later. They
arrived before Lorenzo de Zavala obtained a Mexican empresarial
grant covering most of what is now Jasper County in 1829. Though
John Bevil is credited as being one of the first Anglo-American
settlers in Texas, the Allens were not far behind. In 1830 George
W. Smyth found about thirty families scattered between the Sabine
and Neches rivers. Most were clustered near the present-day site
of Jasper. It appears that William was given a grant for 2,214
acres of land (listed as Abstract #1 in district records) along
the Neches River. This is one-half league, an odd amount for
colonists. Nathaniel remained in St. Helena Parish until after
1828. Daughter Sarah Ann and her husband George Pattillo arrived
in 1830. Son Thomas remained in Louisiana and son Peter removed
to Arkansas. William and Hannah may have returned to Louisiana as
they are listed in the 1830 census of St. Helena Parish. William
died between 1830 and 1836 in either Louisiana or Texas. It has
been reported that William is buried in Pine Island Cemetery in
Jefferson County, Texas but no record has yet been found. It is
possible that, after his death in Louisiana, Hannah returned to
Texas, perhaps with her recently widowed son Nathaniel, though
she was not in his household in 1835.

Santa Anna, an officer in the Spanish army became president of
Mexico in 1833. Immediately after, he named himself dictator,
declared Mexico not yet ready for democratic government and
abolished the Constitution of 1824. Then, in 1835 he decided to
replace the federal system with a centralized republic and,
accordingly, dissolved local legislatures and imposed a strict
central control. Texans believed the new system interfered with
their rights and demanded that the Constitution of 1824 be
reinstated. On 2 October 1835, the curtain on the
Texas Revolution rose with the first shot fired at
Gonzales.

As the storm clouds revolt gathered in
October 1835, it was apparent that the Allen's were to be in the
forefront of the Texas War of Independence. On 3 October
a Declaration of War is issued and immediately a call for
volunteers to muster at Gonzales was sent out. On 11 October
the Army of Texas is organized and Sam Houston is elected
commander-in-chief. General Austin immediately set out for San
Antonio de Béxar with 300 volunteers and requested
reinforcements and supplies from Nacogdoches.

Captain James Chessher, the long-time
ferryman over Pine Island Bayou, mustered a company of Jefferson
and Jasper County volunteers and joined Sam Houston's forces at
Bexar. Members of his company included William, Moses, George,
and Elisha Allen (sons of William Allen). Elisha, George and
Moses were assigned to Lewis' Company on 16 November,
the same day Austin ordered rationing for the troops. On 24 November Austin was ordered to go to the United State as
Commissioner to appeal for help and Edward Burleson was elected
his replacement. General Burleson was firmly convinced that it
was practicable to reduce the town conceived a plan of storming
the town with a party of volunteers from the army. He accordingly
authorized his adjutant and inspector-general, F. W. Johnson, and
Colonel Benjamin R. Milam to raise a force of volunteers from the
army to attack the enemy on the following morning. Two hundred
and sixteen men volunteered for this service promptly, including
the Allens. On 5 December Milam and his volunteers
attacked. For four days intense house-to-house fighting ensued.
Milam was killed but the 1,200 Mexican troops were soundly
defeated. There were 400 Mexican casualties but only two dead and
26 wounded among the Texans. On 11 December General
Cos surrendered and moved his troops back across the Rio Grande.
The victory at the Battle of Bexar effectively liberated Texas as
there were no Mexican troops Texas.

A garrison of 104
Texans then moved into the Alamo mission. On Tuesday, 23 February
1836, Santa Anna's troops moved into the San Antonio main plaza
and the General demanded an immediate and unconditional surrender
by the Alamo garrison. The answer from the Texans was a cannon
shot and the siege began. On 24 February Colonel
Travis sent an appeal to Sam Houston for reinforcements. When Joseph Dunman reached Liberty on
1 March with a copy of Colonel Travis letter
from the Alamo, Captain Benjamin F. Harper immediately raised a
company of twenty-eight men at Beaumont. In Logans company
were John Stephenson son-in-law of William Allen (husband of
Mary) and Hezekiah Williams, father-in-law of Moses Allen. At
Liberty, Harpers company was merged with Captain William
Logans company. They did not make it to San Antonio before
the Alamo fell and all defenders were killed on 6 March.

Harper and Logan joined Houston at the
confluence of Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto river and
prepared a defense. The following morning Santa Anna's troops
arrived but were stopped by cannon fire. On 21 April
Houston's forces of 750 men faced more than 1,500 enemy.
Houston advanced and when within seventy yards of the enemy the
command to fire was given and shouts of "Remember the
Alamo" rang along the entire Texas line. Within eighteen
minutes 700 Mexicans were killed and another 730 taken prisoner.
Only nine Texans were lost. John Stephenson and Hezekiah Williams
survived. With the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto the
battle for Texas was won. Captain George W. Hargraves was
en route to San Jacinto with twenty-one men, including George
Patillo, husband of Sarah Allen, John and one other Allen, when
the battle was fought but did not arrive until after the
surrender of General Santa Anna.

After the surrender of Santa Anna these men returned to their farms and
ranches. But, even after the victory at San Jacinto there
were a number of Mexican armies still intact in Texas, and the
volunteer Texas companies were sorely needed to escort the
Mexican forces to the Rio Grande. The threat of a renewal of
hostilities continued. On 6 June 6 1836, Captain William Logan
discharged his 90-day volunteers, but his lieutenants, Franklin
Hardin and B. J. Harper, re-enlisted most of them into two
companies. A number of Jefferson County soldiers served in each
unit. Among Captain Hardin's enlistees were Elisha and James
Stephenson, sons of John Stephenson (who fought at San Jacinto)
and Lydia Allen. At Beaumont on 7 July Captain
Harpers enlistees included 2nd Lt. George Allen,
Moses Allen, and John Allen.

Later that year the newly formed Republic
of Texas issued land grants of one league of land to each adult
male who was in Texas prior to 1836. Grants in the Bevil District
were given to Hannah (apparently William's grant), Moses, and
George who each were granted one league. Benjamin, Elijah and
Elisha each received 1/3 league as allowed for males over 17
years of age. George Pattillo was granted one labor (177 acres).
Additional grants were awarded to Moses, William, Daniel, Elisha,
Elijah and John for their service in the Texas War of
Independence. In 1838 George Pattillo, in his role as curator of William's
estate commissioned a survey of William's land.

In 1840 Hannah was listed as head of household in Jefferson
County, Texas. She has not been found in an 1850 census but is
included with son George in 1852 tax records of Orange County,
Texas. She died about 1853 in Orange County, Texas and is
probably buried in Orange County, though it has been reported
that she is buried in Pine Island Cemetery, Jefferson County,
Texas along with her husband.

Research Notes: There is some doubt as to whether William
Allen, son of William and Keziah, has been properly identified. In this
history William is assumed to have married Mary Ann Moore and fathered
William N. Allen of Johnson County, Arkansas. No record of this William has
been found. The presumed linkage is based solely on the fact that William
and Keziah had a son named William and that William N. Allen turned up in
Johnson County, Arkansas (where Peter Allen lived) with his mother Mary Ann
Moore and that his father was born in Alabama. There is another possibility.
There is a Milton Phillips buried on the Peter Allen farm in Johnson County.
This Milton can be traced back to John Phillips of Lauderdale County,
Alabama. After the death of John's first wife he married Susannah Whitehead,
widow of William C. Allen who drowned in the Elk River in Lauderdale County
in 1830. The difficulty with this connection is that his father moved the
family to Spanish West Florida about 1800 when he would have been about 10
years old. In order to marry Susannah Whitehead, he would have had to leave
his father in Spanish West Florida and returned to northern Alabama to meet
Sarah and start a family by 1823. Keziah's exact death date and
the date of William's marriage to Hannah Pride is not known
so Daniel may be the son of either Keziah or Hannah.